Wire twisting machine



March 17, 1959 s. B. BLAISDELL WIRE TWISTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. a, 1956 INVENTOR. szane z B. B/ aisde K3 H HIEI m- ATTORNEYS.

March 17, 1959 s. B. BLAISDELL WIRE TWISTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1956 INVILINTOR. 3 2'0)? e 5. B10 ISO/6 Y A T TO R N Evs March 1959 s. B. BLAISDELL WIRE TWISTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 8, 1956 ml IIIICC" INVENTOR. Sidneyfi. Blazsdel/ ATTORNEYS- Filed Oct. 8, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 30 04 0 0 0 0 000 0 0 000000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 i "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0n0 0n w n w w w w w n w0 0 0 0n0 0 0 00 0 0 0u0n n u n n n w n 0u 9 VM0N0M0N0M OM0 0 0 w u n n n n w wnnu 0 0 0 0 0 I 00 3 0 0 0u0n0n0 0 0 0 0 0 nwwu u w w ufl 0 nnn0 0 0n0u0 w u n0w0w0uuwwwnnn nl 0 00000 00 00000 0 00000 000000000 0000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 000000000 0 00 0 000 00000000000 000000000 0 00 00000000 0 00 '0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0000000000 00000000 0 0 000000000000 0 00000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 M 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 m 0000000000000w000u 0.0000000000000000 00000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0w0n0n0 0 000 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000000000000000000 00 00 300x000 0000000 $00030 000000000000000000 000000000 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000000 v 0 0 0 0 0 0000000000 0 0 0 00000Q .000 00000000000000 0 0000 000000000000000000 000 0000 0000000 000000 0 0 0 00 v 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0 0000 3 .0w0w0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0000w00000000000p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0w 0 0 0M0 0 0% 0 0 n 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0V??? 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% t u l 0 9' n 79' INVENTOR. 58 77.69 gsfz'a zzef E-B/az'sde/Z YQWAW 1624414,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,877,626 WIRE TWISTING MACHINE Sidney B. Blaisdell, East Greenwich, R. L, assignor to Edmands Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application October 8, 1956, Serial No. 614,432

7 Claims. (Cl. 57-5834) This invention relates to a machine for twisting wire strand material and more particularly to a machine adapted to impart more than one turn of twist in one or more strands for each revolution of the flyer thereof.

An object of the invention is to improve generally on machines of the above type.

Another object of the invention is to provide means operable for applying a constant controlled tension on the wires as drawn from the supply reels.

Another object of the invention is to maintain a constant tension on the wires as drawn from the supply reels as well as to arrest the turning of the reels upon a break in the wire strand.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for reversing the directions of travel of the wires through the machine which will be adapted to be carried around the axis of the wires to impart twist thereto.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wire twisting machine embodying my invention, certain parts having been omitted for the sake of clarity;

Figure 2 is a section view of a fragmental portion taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section view of a fragmental portion taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section view, showing a fragmentary portion of the wire tensioning and brake mechanism of the machine;

Figure 5 is a section view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a section view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a top plan view partially in section of a fragmentary portion of the machine at the central portion thereof;

Figure 9 is a section view on line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a section view on line 10-10 of Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is an elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the machine looking thereat in the direction of the arrows on line 11-11 of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the present embodiment of the invention, 10 designates a wire twisting machine of the horizontal type having a pair of endwise spaced rotatable shafts 11 and 12 which are axially in line with each other. A flyer section 13 is in-.

terposed in the space between the adjacent ends of the shafts and is coupled to the shafts for rotation therewith. The flyer section revolves about a cradle 14 which carries supply reels 15 and 16 from which wires W, W are pulled to be helically twisted about each other. The paths of the .wires through the machine are indicated in broken.

and clamp screws5 0. Thus.

2,877,620 Patented Mar. 17, 9

lines. The wires are led from the reels and advanced toward the right as seen in Figure 1, and passed about a half turn about rollers 17, 18, the wire W passing about roller 17 in a counter clockwise direction, and the wire W passing about roller 18 in a clockwise direction. Thus the wires are turned back upon themselves and reversed in direction of travel. The wires lead from'the rollers to be passed through a pair of side by side guide eyes 19, 19' which are positioned at the left of the reels. It will be seen that the wires move in spaced relation from the reels to the guide eyes 19, 19. The wires extend together from the said eyes and are passed through the bore of shaft 12 and out to be led to a reversing head H having a pair of reversing wheels 20 and 21 which are car'- ried by the shaft 12 to be revolved about the axis thereof by the rotation of the shaft as well as being mounted for rotation about their own axes. Both wires W, W are first passed about the wheel 20 in a counter clockwise direction and then are led to be passed about wheel 21 in after appear, from the length of wire traveling in the op posite direction in the said bore. The wires pass out of the said bore and are guided along a bow of the flyer section and from the bow to enter the bore of shaft 11 to be led therefrom to a known take up mechanism (not shown) which may include a usual capstan by means of which the wires are pulled through the machine.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that as the shafts 11 and 12 are rotated, the reversing head will rotate the wires about each other and place a helical twist in the length of wires extending between said rotating head and fixed guide eyes 19, 19'. The wires now twisted pass from the wheel 21 with the twist extending in the direction of rotation of the flyer section about the supply reels and thus place a second twist into the wires in the length thereof extending between the wheel 21 and the take up mechanism. Thus two twists are imparted to the wires for each revolution of the shafts.

The shaft 11 is journalled in suitable bearings 23, 24 which are secured to bearing stand 25, 26 which rise from the base 27 of the machine. The shaft 12 is similarly mounted in bearings 28, 29 which are secured to hearing stand 30, 31 which likewise rise from the base 27. Shaft 11 is driven from a suitable power source, as for example, an electric motor (not shown) through a drive coupling including a V belt 32 which is trained about a complemental pulley 33 secured to shaft 11 for rotation there flyer section 13 is attached to the foot portion of bracket 36 by means of a clamp plate 42 which engages against the bow 41 and clamp screws 43 which pass through said bracket, bow end and threadedly engages said plate 42. The other end portion of bow 41 (see Figure 3) is similar- 1y attached to bracket 40 by a clamp plate 44 and clamp screws 45. The other how 46 of the flyer section is simi' larly attached at the right end portion thereof to bracket 35 by a clamp plate 47 and clamp screws 48, and at the other end portion thereof to bracket 39 by clamp plate 49 as theshaft llis. rotated,

asraeao 3 motion will be transmitted through the bows 41 and 46 so as to rotate shaft 12 in unison with shaft 11.

The cradle 14 is positioned in the space between the ends of shafts 11 and 12 and comprises spaced bars 51, '52 which are reinforced 'by cross tie members 53, 54 which are connected at their ends to the bars 51 and 52 suitably such as by a-weld joint. A longitudinal centrally disposed bar 55 extends between the cross members 53, 54 and is secured thereto by screw threaded clamp bolts 56 (see Figure 8,). The bar 55 has semicircular recesses 57, 58 (see Figure which extend inwardly from the upper side thereof and these are in line with each other and with semi-circular recesses 59, 60 which are. provided on bars 51, 52 respectively. The

end ,portionsof bars 51 and 52 converge toward each other and the right end portions of said bars are connected together by a plate 60 and the other end portions of the bars are similarly connected by a similar plate 61. A ball bearing unit 62 is secured to the plate 60 and a similar unit 63 is attached to the plate 61. The inner end portions 64, 65 of shafts 11 and 12 respectively are journalled in these bearing units for rotation relative to the cradle 14 which is held substantially stationary by means of a weighted bar 66 (see Figure 4) which is connected to cross members 53, 54 to be suspended therefrom.

, The reels and 16 are similar one to the other and are mounted on the cradle side by side in a similar manner by similar elements, and only one reel and its mounting need be described. The supply reel 16 is mounted on a shaft 67 (see Figure 8) which is reduced in stepped formation at the inner end thereof as at 68 and 69. The other end of the shaft is reduced as at 70. A gear wheel 71 is mounted on the shaft portion 68 and is secured thereto for rotation therewith as by means of a pin fastening 72. -A ball bearing unit 73 (see Figure 10) is mounted on shaft portion 69 and abuts against a reduced hub portion 74 of gear wheel 71 and is held against axial movement by a split ring fastening or the like 75. A needle bearing 76 (Figure 8) is mounted on the reduced shaft portion 70 and secured thereto in a known manner. In mounting the shaft 67 on the cradle 14, the ball bearing 73 is engaged in the recess 57 and the bearing unit 76 is inserted in the recess 59. The ball bearing end of the shaft is secured in place by a slidable lock bar 77 (see Figure 9) which is an inverted L shape in cross section (see Figure 10) providing a lip portion 78 which overlies the upper side of bar 55. The lip has a groove 79 which is adapted to he slid into engagement against the periphery of the bearing 73 so as to frictionally hold the bearing against rotation with respect to said bar 55. The slide bar 77 has a bifurcated end portion 80 which is adapted to straddle the reduced hub portion 74. The bar 77 is provided with elongated openings 81 therethrough through which pass stud bolts 82 which threadedly engage the said bar 55 to slidably secure the bar 77 in position for slidable movement in and out of engagement with said bearing unit 73. The bar in turn is held in the locked relation by means of a latch 83 (see Figure 9) which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 84 as at 85. A compression spring 86 is arranged to have one end thereof bear against the latch and the other end thereabove engage against a plate 87 projecting on each side of the bracket 84. Thus the latch 83 is resiliently urged into engagement with said bar 77 to hold the same in the forward position thereof. Upon manually moving the latch out of engagement with bar 77, the same may be moved to a rearward position so as to free the ball bearing unit 73.

The guide eyes 19 and 19' are carried on a plate 88 which rises from the plate 87 (see Figures 8 and 9). The other end of the shaft is locked into position by a second latch 89 (see Figure 11) which is pivoted as at 90 to bar 52 and has a hook terminal 91 which is adapted to be swung into engagement with the periphery of needle bearing unit 76 to frictionally hold the same against rotation with respect to the walls of recess 59. A pull spring 92 has one end attached to the latch 89 and the other end thereof is secured to the bar 52, the spring 92 resiliently biasing the latch into frictional engagement with hearing unit 76.

The reels are of the known construction and are shown conventionally as having a bore 93 therethrough for receiving the body of shaft 67. The inner side of the reel abuts against the hub of gear wheel 71 and is held against axial movement by a collar 94 which is slidable along the shaft and secured in adjusted position by a screw 95. The reel is arranged to be locked with the shaft 67 for rotation therewith in a known manner as, by way of example, a pin connection as at 93'. Preferably a shaft with reel attached thereto is mounted as a unit on the cradle and removed as a unit.

The rollers 17 and 18 are similar to each other and similarly mounted on the cradle 14 and only the roller 17 and the mounting thereof need be described. The roller 17 has a peripheral V-groove in which the wire W travels and is mounted at the upper end of an arm 101 for free rotation. A plate 102 depends from the cross member 53 and has secured thereto a bracket bearing 103, the lower end of which is enlarged so as to provide a bearing 104 for a shaft 105 journalled therein. The arm 101 is secured to said shaft 105 for rotation therewith and a link 106 is secured on the other end of the shaft 105 for rotation therewith. Thus, as the arm 101 is rocked in either direction, the shaft 105 will be turned likewise and rock link 106. A brake wheel 107 (Figure '7) is rotatably mounted on a stationary held shaft 108 which is secured to the bar 55 (Figure 5). A gear wheel 109 (Figure 7) is secured to the brake wheel 107 for rotation therewith and meshes with a gear wheel 71 secured to the reel. A brake band 110 extends about the brake wheel 107 and has one end attached to the link 106. The other end of the band 110 terminates in a screw threaded member 111 which extends through a bracket 112 and is adjustably secured thereto by nuts 113 engaging member 111 on each side of the bracket, the bracket being secured to the cross member 53 and providing a stationary held anchor for the band 110.

A pull spring 114 (Figure 6) is attached to the link 101 and the other end of the spring is attached to a turn buckle 115 which in turn is anchored to plate 60 and may adjust the tension of spring 114.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the band 110 is under adjusted spring tension and that when the roll 17 is free of wire the tension on the brake band will friction the brake wheel 107 and through gear 109 will oppose rotation of gear wheel 71 and the reel attached thereto. It will also be apparent that any pull of the wire on roll 17 will be against the bias of spring 114 swinging lever 106 and relieving the friction of the brake band 110 so as to permit free turning of the reel.

The tension of spring 114 multiplied by its moment arm from shaft 105 will equal the tension of the wire on roll 17 multiplied by its moment arm from shaft 105. The turn buckles 115 will be adjusted so that the wire about roll 17 will have the same tension as that of the wire about roll 18. The spring 114 serves the dual purpose of tensioning the wire and also applies a brake to the reels from which the wire is drawn. Upon a break in the wire, the pull of spring 114 will tension the brake band 110 and stop rotation of the reel. The above likewise applies to roller 18.

In the operation of the machine, the wire W from reel 15 is pulled therefrom and passed one half turn in a counter clockwise direction about roller 17 as seen in Figure l. The wire W is pulled from reel 16 and passed one half turn in a clockwise direction about roller 18. The two wires now are led in the reversed direction from the rollers 17 and 18 and travel side by side in the space between the reels to pass through guide eyes 19 and 19. The two wires are now led together to be passed in the bore of shaft 12 and out to be passed about capstan 20 in a counter clockwise direction. The wires pass from capstan 20 and led about capstan 21 also in a counter clockwise direction and therefrom in a reversed direction to re-enter the bore of shaft 12 to be guided therethrough by means of a tubular guide 120 (see Figure 3) which maintains the two lengths of double wires separated from each other as being guides 121 which are attached to the bow 41. The bow has a plurality of spaced guides 122 between which the wires travel to the other end of the bow and there guided by roller guide 121 (see Figure 2) to enter the bore of shaft 11, the wires being guided through shaft 11 by a similar tubular guide 120'. The wires are new advanced to the take up mechanism (not shown) as previously described.

Assuming the capstans 20, 21 to be revolved in a clockwise direction about the axis of shaft 12 as viewed from the left of Figure l. The two stretches of wire W, W extending between the guide eyes 19, 19' and capstan 20 will be twisted about each other. Thus a first twist will be imparted to the wires. In passing the wires about capstan 21 in a counter clockwise direction, the twist in the stretch of wires from capstan 21 to the take up mechanism will lay in the same direction as the twist in the stretch of wires extending from the guide eyes 19, 19. The bow 41 also revolves in a clockwise direction about the reels 15, 16 which imparts a second twist to the wires. Thus a doubled or two twist is imparted to the wires at each revolution of the shafts 11 and 12.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the rollers 17 and 18 are rotatable about axes which are substantially at right angles to the axes of rotation of said rollers. When wire is drawn from a full reel, it will be retained within the groove of the rollers as indicated in broken lines wl of Figure 4. When the wire is drawn from a nearly exhausted supply, the wire will be retained within the groove of the rollers as indicated by broken lines w2. Thus the wire will be properly guided from the reels at all condition of supply thereon.

I claim:

1. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft, a cradle at one end of said shaft for holding supply wire held stationary relative to the rotation of said shaft, a flyer section having a bow rotatable with said shaft and adapted to be carried around said cradle by the rotation of said shaft, guide means for leading wire as drawn from said supply axially of the shaft away from the shaft and then reversed to be passed through and out of the bore of said shaft, guide means at the outer end of said shaft rotatable therewith and over which the wire is passed to again be reversed in direction of travel to re-enter said bore and be guided out thereof to said bow to be carried thereby around said supply, whereby a twist will be imparted in the length of wire extending between the first said guide means and the second said guide means, and a second twist will be imparted in the length of wire extending between the second said guide means and said bow at each revolution of said shaft.

2. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft, a cradle at one end of said shaft held stationary relative to the rotation of said shaft, a wire supply reel carried by the cradle with its axis at right angles to said shaft, a flyer section having a bow rotatable with said shaft and adapted to be carried around said cradle and reel by the rotation of said shaft, guide means on the side of said supply away from said shaft about which said wire passes for leading wire as drawn from said supply away from the supply and then reversing to be passed through and out of the bore of said shaft, means for movably mounting and spring biasing said guide means to tension the wire as moved thereabout, a brake for retarding the movement of the supply reel and means for moving the brake in response to movement of said guide means.

3. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft, a cradle rotatably carried at one end of said shaft and held stationary relative to the rotation of said shaft, a wire supply reel carried by the cradle, a brake for said reel, a flyer section having a bow rotatable with said shaft and adapted to be carried around said cradle by the rotation of said shaft, a guide wheel mounted on said cradle for guiding wire from said supply to be passed through the bore of said shaft, and a common spring means acting upon said brake and said guide wheel for resiliently controlling them.

4. In a Wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft, a cradle rotatably carried at one end of said shaft and held stationary relative to the rotation of said shaft, a wire supply reel carried by the cradle, a brake for said reel, a flyer section having a bow rotatable with said shaft and adapted to be carried around said cradle by the rotation of said shaft, a guide wheel mounted on said cradle for guiding wire from said supply to be passed through the bore of said shaft, a lever mounting said wheel and connected to said brake and a spring acting on said lever to control the tension of the wire about said wheel and the action of said brake.

5. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft through which wire to be twisted passes, a cradle at one end of said shaft and held stationary relative to the rotation thereof, a rotatable wire supply carried by said cradle, a pivoted arm, a guide roller carried by said arm and about which wire drawn from said supply is looped to be traveled in the opposite direction from which it is drawn from said supply and thence through said tubular shaft, a brake means for arresting the rotation of said supply upon breaking of said wire, and means coupling said arm to said brake means to control the action thereof into said supply.

6. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft through which wire to be twisted passes, a cradle at one end of said shaft and held stationary relative to the rotation thereof, a rotatable wire supply carried by said cradle, a pivoted arm carried by said cradle, a guide roller carried by said arm and about which wire drawn from said supply is looped to be reversed in direction and traveled to the bore of the shaft in the opposite direction from which it is drawn from said supply, a rotatable brake means, means connecting said brake means to said supply to be rotated thereby, and means coupling said arm to said brake means to control the action thereof in response to the pull of the wire on said roller.

7. In a wire twisting machine having a rotatable tubular shaft through which wire to be twisted passes, a cradle at one end of said shaft and held stationary relative to the rotation thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted on said cradle and adapted to receive a wire supply to be rotatable therewith, an arm pivotally mounted on said cradle, a guide roller carried by said arm and about which wire drawn from said supply is looped to be traveled in the opposite direction to that in which it is drawn to pass through said tubular shaft, resilient means connected to said arm to yieldingly oppose the pull of the wire thereon, brake means coupled to said shaft for opposing the rotation of said shaft under pull of said wire, and means for coupling said arm to said brake means to control the action thereof in response to the pull of the wire in said roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

